Why is TVP changing the resolution of my PSDs? Topic is solved

[swiftsketcher]

I'm having issues importing my PSDs exported from TVP into our image compiler at my job due to the resolution changing. Here's what I mean:

I start off with this image. Here are the resolution and pixel properties in Photoshop:
(1078 x 581) (resolution: 200)

Screen Shot 2017-09-19 at 12.53.52 AM.png (66.87 KiB) Viewed 23396 times

Great! I now take that source PSD and import it into TVP as the template for work. Here are the properties as shown in the modify project box (note, I'm not modifying anything, this is simply to show the pixel size as being the same)

Screen Shot 2017-09-19 at 12.56.10 AM.png (51.18 KiB) Viewed 23396 times

Here is the export window.

Screen Shot 2017-09-19 at 12.57.34 AM copy.png (42.33 KiB) Viewed 23396 times

This is where the issue begins. The software at work needs to be fed psd's with the exact same properties as the original source PSD, or else it will not accept the image. No problem right? TVP should not have changed the properties at all, or so I think. This is where I'm wrong (and confused)

Our program at work rejects the TVP exported PSDs, which means something is wrong. I open the file in Photoshop to check its properties, and see that the resolution has been changed to 200 from 72.

(1078 x 581) (resolution: 72)

Screen Shot 2017-09-19 at 1.00.43 AM.png (58.01 KiB) Viewed 23396 times

Currently to fix it means I need to re-enter the resolution at 200 which doubles the pixels, so I need to half them back to normal. I save the PSD having changed it back and now the image is accepted again.

Any idea why my source PSD that I import into TVP, when exported back out has a different resolution when I open it in Photoshop again?

[Elodie]

Hello !

Do not mistake Resolution and Definition. In term of display, only definition (in pixels) makes sense.

The resolution is measured in Dots Per Inch and it only matters when you're printing things out. DPIs are used to indicate how dense the image resolution will be when you will print your illustration. The higher the DPI rating, the finer the detail the printer will attempt to print.
In animation, DPI resolution is usually irrelevant since you don't print animations. Worrying about DPI in an animation is like worrying about FPS (Frame per second) in an illustration.
Nevertheless, you can convert illustrations made in TVPaint Animation with most desktop publishing programs. You can also simply increase your project's definition to match the required DPI.

For example:
A 8x10" project printed @ 72 DPI = 576x792 pixels
A 8x10" project printed @ 300 DPI = 2400x3300 pixels.
A good website to use : http://www.pixelcalculator.com/

Currently to fix it means I need to re-enter the resolution at 200 which doubles the pixels,

No, it won't double the pixels. It will just tell your printer that your illustration "in 1078 x 581 px" will be 13,7 x 7,4 cm or 5 x 3 inc with a resolution of 200 dots per inches, that's all.

[swiftsketcher]

Hello !

Do not mistake Resolution and Definition. In term of display, only definition (in pixels) makes sense.

The resolution is measured in Dots Per Inch and it only matters when you're printing things out. DPIs are used to indicate how dense the image resolution will be when you will print your illustration. The higher the DPI rating, the finer the detail the printer will attempt to print.
In animation, DPI resolution is usually irrelevant since you don't print animations. Worrying about DPI in an animation is like worrying about FPS (Frame per second) in an illustration.
Nevertheless, you can convert illustrations made in TVPaint Animation with most desktop publishing programs. You can also simply increase your project's definition to match the required DPI.

For example:
A 8x10" project printed @ 72 DPI = 576x792 pixels
A 8x10" project printed @ 300 DPI = 2400x3300 pixels.
A good website to use : http://www.pixelcalculator.com/

Currently to fix it means I need to re-enter the resolution at 200 which doubles the pixels,

No, it won't double the pixels. It will just tell your printer that your illustration "in 1078 x 581 px" will be 13,7 x 7,4 cm or 5 x 3 inc with a resolution of 200 dots per inches, that's all.

Hi Elodie, thanks for the help.

I undersand what you mean. This is how I thought it worked too, until this problem. In comparing the source file to the one that TVP outputs, the only thing that changes in properties is what photoshop identifies as the resolution.

Why does 200 next to resolution become 72 after?

Original "Image Size" properties in Photoshop before entering TVP:

Screen Shot 2017-09-20 at 2.57.58 PM.png (22.88 KiB) Viewed 23365 times

after TVP output:

Screen Shot 2017-09-20 at 2.58.14 PM.png (28.02 KiB) Viewed 23365 times

When I type in 200 again where 72 was, the pixel size increases to match (which makes sense like how you explained):

Screen Shot 2017-09-20 at 3.02.54 PM.png (13.11 KiB) Viewed 23365 times

I retype in the original pixel dimensions:

Screen Shot 2017-09-20 at 3.03.26 PM.png (12.95 KiB) Viewed 23365 times

And the files are now accepted by our catalogue program after saving them. I don't know why this is what "fixes" the problem, but it's the only solution that I can find, otherwise our work program reads the 72 resolution file from TVP as "corrupt" until I do the process above. Any thoughts as to why that is?

Sorry if this is repetitive! I appreciate any insight.

My only solution currently is to batch automate this "conversion" process with a photoshop droplet.

[Fabrice]

Why does 200 next to resolution become 72 after?

TVPaint doesn't manage DPI because there is no need when working on tradigital 2D animation. so whatever you do, it switches to the default DPI value : 72 when exporting psd.
We are thinking about adding some DPI informations when exporting images sequences, but it's not done at this time in the code.

[Elodie]

I am sorry to tell this, but Photoshop is the one acting badly : DPI should have an influence on pixels only if you locked an actual size in cm or inches.

I mean, DPI are like Km/h or Mph.
You have a distance of 100 km and you want to reach this distance in 1 hour = you must driver at 100 km/h
You want to drive at 50 km/h ? then, either you will need 2 hours or you will have to drive only 50 km in one hour.


It's exactly the same with DPI.
You want to print your project in a size of 13,7 x 7,4 cm and on your computer, your project is 1078 x 581 px = you must print your project at 200DPI
You want to print your project at 300 DPI ? then, either it will be printed in a size of 9,1 x 4,9 cm or you will have to make your project bigger in your computer (1618 x 874 px).

Basically, computer images are generated in 72 dpi, that's why TVPaint generates images in 72 DPI. When opening these images to change the DPI value, Photoshop should not double the pixel size, it's a mistake.

[slowtiger]

The culprit is clearly your catalogue program. In a time where images come from all possible sources and will end in all possible places, it's stupid to ask for anything else than the pixel dimensions.

[Fabrice]

The culprit is clearly your catalogue program.

Photoshop can be blamed, but it's not swiftsketcher's fault.
When starting with other software, a lot of people are just in the same situation : trying to understand the ins and outs of the DPI concepts.